Call to Action

Cancer touches so many people in this world, from the victims themselves to the family and friends around them. Chances are if you have not already been affected by cancer in your life, one day you will. Just about anyone that makes it to this page has some kind of connection to cancer, even if that connection is only a desire to fight it for the sake of others. Which is why this page exists at all.

Cancer Detection Dog Training (CDDT) is a tool that could help save millions of lives. But like anything in this world it will take a lot of work before it becomes recognized as a viable medical option. Starting my simple home business took: months of pre-launch work, a mountain of paperwork, legal advice, time spent studying skills that I did not already possess, enthusiastic advertising, financial resources, networking, equipment acquisition, the actual day to day work of operations. (There may be more I am forgetting)

What I am attempting to build now is no simple home business operation.

Many hands make for light work, many voices will reach out further, the will of many combined shape our reality. Let me be honest, I cannot bring this to life alone. There is too many hours of work to be done than there are in day, too many skills needed to build this up than one person can boast, to many resources needed than I have to spend. I need your help. Any and all help that can be given. CDDT is not something new, trainers and doctors have been studying it's potential for well over a decade now. So why is it not a widely used medical practice? Because anything new needs to be proven again and again before it becomes viable; needs to be announced to the world and fought for past all of the doubts, questions and concerns; needs informed and passionate people to stand behind it until it can stand on it's own.

I am looking for those people.

When the In Situ Foundation began certifying trainers the number of informed professionals increased exponentially and continues to grow with each class they hold. More trainers means more medical studies, more proof of repeatably and reliability in the training and more voices advocating for the use of Cancer Detection Dog Training. Dina Zaphiris cared more about sharing the gift of her knowledge with others than benefiting from her rare experience in an elite field. She cared about saving lives.

She is inspiring and I have taken that idea to heart. Sharing the work load to speed up the process would mean that CDDT will become available to the public years sooner. So I am asking you to help me. Help me save lives. Take a look at my dream below and at the things we will need to bring it to reality. If you want to help but are not sure if these ideas work for you, contact me! I bet I can find at least one way You can make a difference.

Not for Profit Foundation

Not-For-Profit status is the first big step we need to take as that will open up doors for opportunities, support and funding in a way that For-Profit cannot. Building a Foundation is also an important way to bring like minded people with varying skills together to work towards the ultimate goal; saving lives.

I would like to see a separate legal entity created for the purposes of:1. Training Cancer Detection Dogs to the benefit of the Province/Country2. Gathering and Storing samples for training purposes3. Spreading awareness/education on the subject of Cancer Detection Dog Training (CDDT) and the benefits to mankind. 4. Collecting funds to help ensure continued work

You may ask me, why the push to have others help me build the Foundation? The answer is, because I want it to succeed! Based on the research I have done so far on starting and running a successful Not-for-Profit it requires a lot of work and know how. Even if I did spend a good deal of time educating myself on the subject I would still lack the finer skill points that come from years of experience and I could not fill every role needed for smooth operations.

I am certainly not Executive Director material. At least not the best that could be found for the Foundation and for a goal this important why not seek out the best?

This is a small quote from a webpage I found useful, it discusses the differences between successful and unsuccessful non-profits:

"......at the top of the list is the use of the wrong governance model (or no governance model at all) and the other is the lack of board member training.....Organizations that choose the wrong governance structure either fail outright or limp along, never maximizing their potential. ......The correct governance model without the proper training for board members is of little value. Many board members lack board training; others are unaware of their lawful duties......These key director areas relate to those in a startup phase and established non-profits."

So, are you interested in standing on the board of directors? Or perhaps volunteering your time, energy and skills? The Foundation will require a group of people who have a passionate connection to cancer but also have skills such as; entrepreneurial, legalities, book-keeping, researching, advertising, public speaking, management and requiting, networking... and probably more that I don't know to name.

If you fit any other these roles or have another one to offer please contact me!

Doctor/Medical Researcher

Medical collaboration is critical in order to meet the goal of having dogs used to diagnose cancer in people. Before clinical trials can even be discussed there has to be enough evidence presented to support the science, evidence in the form of data collected through medical studies. Reliability, how well the dogs preform; repeatably, can the training be replicated with different teams of dogs; cost effectiveness, is the time, energy and expenses for training dogs a viable option compared to other techniques or equipment. These are just a couple of questions that the studies will answer in detail.

For credibility of properly conducted studies, when the time comes we will need a doctor or medical researcher on board to work with us through each and every trial.

However I have not and will not be seeking one out as of yet.

Without the Non-Profit (NP) built and operational there is little benefit in my mind to connecting with a doctor at this time. How unprofessional would it seem to present this wonderful concept to someone who becomes interested but then be unable to follow through with action? How many people would not open their doors a second time even once we were properly prepared?

No. For now I think it is best to focus on building the NP and then seek out a doctor/researcher afterwards, not that I would turn someone away if they found their way here and was interested in the science.

If you are a doctor/researcher and wish to become involved please feel free to contact me! If you know someone that fits the role perhaps mention CDDT to them, but be sure to emphasize that we are still in the planning stage!

Awareness

Awareness ​​lays the foundation for everything, it is important before we can get started and will be just as important years from now. After all, what good would it be if someone found "the cure for cancer" but no one had ever heard about it? CDDT may not be "The" cure for cancer but it certainly is "A" cure for cancer.

Dr Jullian Schink, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology, said that, "Almost all cancers are curable if they are found early enough." CDDT has proven that the dogs can detect cancer Early, even as early as Stage 0.

But how many people have heard about that?

Spreading Awareness: shares the good news of CDDT, battles the miss-understandings that weaken acceptance of the science, seeks out support for those working to save lives, and offers a chance for other passionate people to join the fight as well. The best part is Awareness is easy, anyone can do it! Talking to family and friends, church members and life groups or even strangers is sharing Awareness. There are brochures available on the Cancer Sniffing Dog's of Canada Facebook page that can be printed off and handed out in a community. Sharing that FB page and this website with friends, strangers and groups online helps get the word out.

You can even arrange for me to come personally speak in your area! I will travel to as many locations as I am reasonably and financially able to reach.

Funding

Without Not for Profit status I cannot offer any tax receipts at this time but any help is still welcome. All donations will go towards funding the Awareness Campaign of 2018 to help with travel, equipment and rental expenses for conferences around BC. ​www.gofundme.com/cancer-detection-dog-awareness